2021 NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament: Purdue 1, Loyola-Chicago 0 (2 OT)

Sarah Griffith.

That’s all you need to say.

She led the Big Ten this season with 15 goals and was one of the best scorers in the nation, finishing in the top 5 nationally. She now has 16, and Purdue is moving on in the 2021 NCAA women’s soccer tournament.

After the disappointment in standard football we turned to metric football at Folk Field tonight, and the ladies delivered. They got into a defensive struggle with Loyola-Chicago and went to double overtime. Maria Bova had six saves to keep Purdue in it, while Maddie Hausmann did her best Tim Howard impressive with 13 for the Ramblers.

She couldn’t get the 14th, because Sarah Griffith did it again.

On the second overtime Griffith got loose, firing a left-footed shot from the top right of the 18 yard box that dribbled home and sent Purdue into the second round with a 1-0 win. It was her SIXTH game-winning goal of the season, and you can tack on two more clutch goals that tied things to allow Purdue to win later.

The Boilers are now 15-4-2 and move on to round 2. They will face the winner of tomorrow’s match between SIU-Edwardsville and Notre Dame. If Notre Dame wins it will be in South Bend Thursday night. If SIU-Edwardsville upsets the Irish it will be at Folk Field in West Lafayette Thursday night.